Herschel Swiryn in WWII - Diary Book 1: Sept 1944

Herschel Swiryn in WWII hersh.swiryn.org

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Diary Book 1: Sept 1944 - June 1945

Pages	Comment
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 11b 10b 09b 08b 12 12b 13 13b 14 14b 15 15b 16 16b 17 17b 18 18b 19 19b 20 20b 21 21b 22 22b 23 23b 24b 24	1 Sep 1944 Camp Carson; train to Cp. Kilmer, NJ 2 10-12 days on Gen. Wash; arr. Cherborgh; Barneville 3 La Haye du Puits to Mechelen, Belgium via train 4 Volunteered for small patrol to get sniper; toward Breda 5 Oct 31 Holland; Bob Hall hit 6 Aachen area 7 Dug in with Pappas next to Cpt. Barker 8 Volunteered to remove A Co. casualties with Nelan 9 Couldn't reach C Co. with much needed ammo & food 10 Stohlberg; found out about ordeal of last few days. 11 Nov 16 Thanksgiving; fox hole caved in by dud 11 back Hid behind beet pile with Kushin & Renshaw. Nov 26 Captured* 10 back Marched & marched & marched 9 back 3 days & two nights in box car 8 back (last diary entry between end Nov 1944 and beg Apr 1945) 12 Apr 4 1945 no beds spoon fashion sleeping - bitter cold 12 back Apr 5-13 Good news - probability of being liberated soon 13 Apr 14-17 Memorial services - artillery rumbling 13 back Watching the planes strafe Jerry - fear of being bombed 14 Apr 18-20 POW laid out in white on compound 14 back Apr 21-22 Lack of food is telling 15 Apr. 23 Apr 23 liberated Three Russian horsemen 15 back Celebrating and eating 16 Snuck into town with Norm 16 back Returned to camp 17 Apr 24 What a meal! 17 back Snuck into Muhlberg with Norm 18 Rode back to Stalag on bikes; fixed meal 18 back Apr 25 More riding and eating 19 Apr 25-26 Yanks arrive 19 back Apr 27-28 in German civilian's house 20 Apr 29-May 4 Moved from Stalag IV B to Riesa 20 back May 5 Wandered about Riesa 21 May 6-7 Skipped KP to go to town 21 back May 8-11 Radio, victory meal 22 May 12-18 Snuck away from Russians in Riesa to Oschatz 22 back May 19-22 Oschatz to Halle via train, 2 battle stars 23 May 23-24 Reims, Paris, Le Harve Cp Lucky Strike 23 back May 25-Jun 8 Le Harve to Southampton to London 24 back Food list 24 Food list
	*Note from Kathy Clark, daughter of Bob Clark, battalion commander: ...Company C was attacking Frenz on November 26, the day your father was captured. [Timberwolf] Tracks has a very short paragraph on the fighting for Frenz which obviously does not begin to tell the story. Dad has a casualty list for the 414th, and there were many, many casualties in Company C that day, your father being one of them.

Pages

Comment

1             Sep 1944 Camp Carson;  train to Cp. Kilmer, NJ
2             10-12 days on Gen. Wash; arr. Cherborgh; Barneville
3             La Haye du Puits to Mechelen, Belgium via train
4             Volunteered for small patrol to get sniper; toward Breda
5             Oct 31 Holland; Bob Hall hit
6             Aachen area
7             Dug in with Pappas next to Cpt. Barker
8             Volunteered to remove A Co. casualties with Nelan
9             Couldn't reach C Co. with much needed ammo & food
10            Stohlberg;  found out about ordeal of last few days.
11            Nov 16 Thanksgiving; fox hole caved in by dud
11 back       Hid behind beet pile with Kushin & Renshaw. Nov 26 Captured*
10 back       Marched & marched & marched
9 back        3 days & two nights in box car
8 back        (last diary entry between end Nov 1944 and beg Apr 1945)
12            Apr 4 1945 no beds spoon fashion sleeping - bitter cold
12 back       Apr 5-13 Good news - probability of being liberated soon
13            Apr 14-17 Memorial services - artillery rumbling
13 back       Watching the planes strafe Jerry - fear of being bombed
14            Apr 18-20 POW laid out in white on compound
14 back       Apr 21-22 Lack of food is telling
15            Apr. 23 Apr 23 liberated Three Russian horsemen
15 back       Celebrating and eating
16            Snuck into town with Norm
16 back       Returned to camp
17            Apr 24 What a meal!
17 back       Snuck into Muhlberg with Norm
18            Rode back to Stalag on bikes; fixed meal
18 back       Apr 25 More riding and eating
19            Apr 25-26 Yanks arrive
19 back       Apr 27-28 in German civilian's house
20            Apr 29-May 4 Moved from Stalag IV B to Riesa
20 back       May 5 Wandered about Riesa
21            May 6-7 Skipped KP to go to town
21 back       May 8-11 Radio, victory meal
22            May 12-18 Snuck away from Russians in Riesa to Oschatz
22 back       May 19-22 Oschatz to Halle via train, 2 battle stars
23            May 23-24 Reims, Paris, Le Harve Cp Lucky Strike
23 back       May 25-Jun 8 Le Harve to Southampton to London
24 back       Food list
24            Food list

*Note from Kathy Clark, daughter of Bob Clark, battalion commander:
...Company C was attacking Frenz on November 26, the day your father was captured. [Timberwolf] Tracks has a very short paragraph on the fighting for Frenz which obviously does not begin to tell the story. Dad has a casualty list for the 414th, and there were many, many casualties in Company C that day, your father being one of them.